Contributed by:
Tabitha Dial, YourHub.com
Article Contributed on: 3/27/2006 12:59:52 PM
In honor of National Poetry Month (April), I'll be posting a
different poetry prompt to my blog each Monday in April. Yes, it's
not April yet, but I've discovered from helping out at a Denver
nonprofit called
Art from
Ashes that it's beneficial to tap in to your right brain
before you try out poetry.
Poetry Poker is an Art from Ashes strategy that helps tune
out all the silly yet annoying voices in your head that say,
"Nah... that's stupid... why are you writing that? You're not
serious, are you?"
Because who cares if you're serious or not? Poetry is fun,
should be fun-- gotta be fun and my mission is to help celebrate
it!
Let's get those creative juices flowing (trust that they are
there-- 'cause I know they are!) and play us some Poetry Poker.
I can't deal out different cards with different words on them
like they do at Art from Ashes, so instead I'll give you some words
that I think of when I look at this picture of the Grand Canyon,
above.
Poetry Poker: Grand Canyon version
It's your job to pick seven of these words-- I suggest that
you pick every other one, starting with the first or the second
word. You can start from the beginning or the end:
cliff, canyon, river, desert, vast, inspiration, echo, flight,
deep, high, rock, Colorado, Arizona, tourism, landmark, U.S.A.
Special thanks to Catherine O'Neill Thorn and
Art from Ashes
|
Got your seven words? You may switch out three of them, if
you like.
Now, spend three minutes using your seven words to make a poem--
this poem does not have to rhyme. It doesn't have to be a certain
number of lines or syllables.
And as you work, remember that your poem doesn't have to be one
you want to proclaim from the heights of the Rocky Mountains. It's
just an exercise in thinking poetically-- a warm up for what's to
come next Monday.
Just write. And don't stop. Write "I'm writing, I'm writing, I'm
writing" if your mind goes blank. Soon you'll be writing something
else-- go with it, whatever it is! |
If you'd rather not play Poetry Poker but the Grand Canyon
picture reminds you of a trip you took there or somewhere else and
you want to write about that, please do.
If you'd like, please be sure to
register so that you
can then
post your
poetry, from this exercise or from any time you've created a
poem.
The best poems, 20 lines or less, will be considered for our
print sections in April. To be considered for our April 6 edition,
please post your poem by Thursday, March 30.